Summer 2026 Design Fellowship—Call for Applications

The SDOH & Place Design Fellowship is a remote, project-based program sponsored by the Healthy Regions & Policies Lab (HeRoP). We are seeking a detail-oriented Product/UX Designer to support the SDOH & Place initiative, a project dedicated to making complex Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data accessible for public health planning and community advocacy.

The Fellow will work under the guidance of the Senior Product Designer to audit, analyze, and propose enhancements for the project. This role is ideal for a practitioner-researcher who wants to demonstrate how rigorous design standards can improve public health data access.

The Program

The Fellow will execute a complete audit-to-action cycle. The summer workload is consolidated into three connected phases that blend design craft with academic inquiry:

Phase 1: Diagnostic UX Audit

The Task: Conduct a rigorous Heuristic Evaluation and Accessibility (WCAG 2.1) audit of the current platform.

The Goal: You will stress-test the system across different devices (mobile vs. desktop) and user scenarios to identify two buckets of findings:

• Weaknesses: Friction points, navigation errors, and accessibility gaps.
• Strengths: Design patterns that successfully aid data comprehension.

Phase 2: Design Fix

The Task: Take the identified weaknesses and suggest solutions using low/mid/high-fidelity design.

The Scope: This includes designing responsive layout adjustments, fixing accessibility violations, and creating micro-interactions to smooth out the user experience and add polish.

Output: A developer-ready Figma design containing the improved UI assets and interaction specs.

Phase 3: Knowledge Artifact

The Task: Take the identified strengths (and the logic behind the fixes) to co-author a Technical White Paper.

The Theme: "Design as a Determinant of Access." This white paper will explain how good design can serve as a means of improving access to resources.

The Goal: This document will articulate why specific design choices are critical for public health. This artifact will serve as a key deliverable for the funding organization, RWJF, and a strategic case study for your portfolio.

Who We Are

The Healthy Regions and Policies Lab (HeRoP) at UIUC employs cutting-edge GIScience, public health, and statistics to investigate and advocate for healthier communities. Our work bridges the gap between academic research and public utility. However, we believe that data is only as powerful as its design. Our portfolio demonstrates a commitment to solving complex visualization challenges:

The US Covid Atlas: A user-centric map designed to monitor the pandemic's impact on diverse communities across the United States. We prioritized accessible data visualization to humanize complex longitudinal statistics, integrating oral histories to ensure the interface resonates with a broad public audience.

The ChiVes Project: An innovative tool for mapping and accessing environmental metrics in Chicago, developed through a participatory design framework with a research coalition. The interface moves beyond standard GIS defaults by allowing users to layer socio-economic and environmental factors, visualizing the distinct Chicago neighborhoods.

Our latest undertaking, The SDOH & Place project, reinforces our commitment to enhancing health equity and adds to our growing portfolio of projects.

Who We Are Looking For

This role is ideal for graduate students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals in Interaction Design, HCI, Computer Science, Information Science, GIS, Public Health, Geography, or related fields.

Systems Thinking: You understand how a button on a screen connects to a user's ability to access information.

Applied Design Standards: You rely on industry best practices to guide your decisions. You can quickly spot design violations and translate them into actionable improvements without needing to run a new study.

Figma Fluency: You can handle tactical work using Figma without hand-holding.

Domain Interest: You are driven to work at the intersection of Design and Public Health. You understand that in this context, good design goes beyond aesthetics, as it is a critical mechanism for equitable access to information and care.

Proactive & Asynchronous: As a remote Fellow, you take ownership of your timeline. You dive into exploration for a better solution.

Structure & Commitment

Duration: Summer 2026 (May – August, exact dates flexible).

Format: 100% Remote & Asynchronous.

Collaboration Rhythm:

• Weekly Design Review: A 1-hour sync with the Senior Product Designer to review progress, critique mockups, and align on direction.
• Monthly Project Meeting: Join the broader project team to gain insight into broader project milestones and the scientific context.
• Independent Execution: The Fellow is expected to manage their time effectively to meet the three key deliverables (Deliverables and scope will be adjusted proportionally for part-time fellows).

Stipend & Eligibility

Stipend:

• Rate: $40/hr
• Duration: 12 Weeks (May 26 - August 14, 2026)
• Hours: 40 hours per week (full-time) or 20 hours per week (part-time) Please indicate your availability in the application.
• Appointment Type: Academic Hourly (Fellow designation)

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S.-based and possess valid U.S. work authorization for the duration of the fellowship.

Application Requirements

To apply, please submit the following required materials:

Resume/CV: Highlighting relevant experience in UX Research, Design, and/or Civic Tech.

Portfolio Link: Please point us to one specific project that demonstrates:

• Option A: A UX/Accessibility Audit or Heuristic Evaluation.
• Option B: A "Redesign" project where you improved an existing tool.

Cover Statement (300 words max): Please answer: "Identify a digital tool you use that handles complex data. Briefly explain one specific usability or accessibility barrier it has, and how you would fix it to improve the experience for a non-technical user."

Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design, HCI, Computer Science, Information Science, GIS, Public Health, Geography, or a related field is required. Master’s students or recent graduates are highly encouraged to apply.

Experience: 2+ years of applied design experience (professional or advanced academic) with high proficiency in Figma. Your portfolio must demonstrate execution (not just conceptual case studies) with examples of functional prototypes, design systems, or shipped projects where you worked through constraints.

Application Deadline: Applications are due on Friday, Mar. 13th at 11:59 PM CST.

Link to Apply: go.illinois.edu/SDOH-DESIGN-APPLY

If you have any additional questions, please contact Shubham Kumar (kumar63@illinois.edu).